Julian Carranza Fueling Philadelphia Union’s Winning Streak
The Philadelphia Union finally seem to have hit their stride. They have 6 wins and just 1 tie in MLS play since the start of May. The Union are outscoring their opponents 13-2 in that same time. There was one game where they lost to LAFC in early May. But it was in Concacaf, so it doesn’t actually count toward their MLS record. And since that game, they have been nearly flawless. And one of the big reasons behind this turnaround is the play of Julian Caranaza.
In that stretch of 7 games, Carranza has 6 goals and 1 assist. He has two games with at least 2 goals. This a notable change from his 3 goals and 2 assists in his 8 games before this stretch. Julian Carranza is on fire.
Julián Carranza wants a say in the Golden Boot race.
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 3, 2023
His 8th of the year puts @PhilaUnion ahead. 💫 pic.twitter.com/r42Vt4uawb
Even on defense, he is playing at a high level. 4 interceptions by him in those 7 games. That is compared to just 1 in his 8 MLS games before May.
Julian Carranza was a big part of why this Union team was so dominant last year. His 14 goals were 2nd on the team behind Daniel Gazdag. But he got off to a slow start, like many of his Union teammates. Now? He has rocketed himself into being the teams leading goal scorer. Despite the fact he entered May behind both Gazdag and Mikael Uhre. And those guys have not slowed down, Carranza just heated up.
The Union are going to need Julian Carranza to be this type of player if they want to get back to the promised land. And the good news is, he is heating up. Carranza is playing out of his mind right now.
At 23 we are seeing him turn into a star in front of our eyes. He is now tied for 2nd in goals in the MLS. Only Denis Bouanga and Hany Mukhtar have more than him with 10. 3 other guys share 2nd place with him at 9 goals. But if he keeps this recent pace up, he may lead the league in goals very soon.
7 Philadelphia Athletes Who Have Proven Themselves, And 7 Who Haven't
Joel Embiid- Not Proven
There is a lot good to say about Joel Embiid. In terms of talent, you could argue he is one of the most talented guys to every play in Philly period, let alone just the Sixers. 3 straight seasons as an MVP finalist, and he won it this year. And before the Celtics series, many would have said he was the Philly athlete they trusted the most. But there is no ignoring what happened this season. When the lights shined the brightest, he could not live up to the lofty expectations.
15 points in an elimination game. The biggest dropoff in scoring in the playoffs by an MVP ever. He let his team drop 2 straight games after they led 3-2. It was unacceptable. Enough with the excuses. Joel Embiid needs to step up and get the job done the next time he gets the chance. Until then it will be hard to forget how badly he played when it mattered most.
(Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Carter Hart- Unproven
Carter Hart was supposed to be the next great Flyers goalie. And so far, he has kind of lived up to it. Hart has played well, considering everything else around him. The defense in front of him in his young career has been putrid. Hell, the whole team has been. This is not a, he has not done well enough thing. But more of he has never had a chance to live up to the hype. He looked decent in his one taste of the playoffs. Had a save percentage of .926 in 14 games.
Hopefully, soon enough he will get more of a chance. Ideally, Keith Jones and Danny Briere will finally build a good team around him, and give him a chance to grow into the guy promised as a generational goalie. We need to see it before we say he has proven anything though. We have seen goalies carry their teams in the playoffs. Can Hart do that? We don’t know yet.
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Zack Wheeler- Unproven
Going into the World Series last season, Wheeler felt like the sure thing. But now? It’s a bit questionable. He was not as bad as Nola in the World Series. It would be hard to be worse. But his 5.23 ERA was still bad. His first start was a blowup. The 2nd start was better, but he couldn’t get through 5 innings. Not good enough from an Ace. To make it worse, he has been a bit shaky this season, even if he has turned things around recently.
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Darius Slay- Unproven
We all love Slay. Him coming back, is a good thing. Between him and James Bradberry, they were one of the best, if not the best, cornerback tandem in the league. But the defense is a big reason why they lost the Super Bowl. In fact, it is the reason they lost. And Slay was getting picked on a little bit. You could say the same about James Bradberry, but Slay is the one who is the team leader and the most recognizable face on the defense. The defense needs to be better next time. Starting with him.
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Tyrese Maxey- Unproven
Maxey is still young, so he deserves a bit of a break. We have seen him show star potential in the playoffs in the past. But we have also seen him disappear in games too often. Maxey looked great in games 5 and 6. But was a non factor in games 2, 3, and 4. Embiid and Harden rightfully took most of the heat for the Playoff collapse.
Going forward, Maxey needs to be more reliable. It doesn’t need to be a 30pt night like in game 5. But can he average 20 pts a game in the playoffs like he does in the regular season? They are going to need him to. The excuses that he is young and inexperienced won’t fly past this season. With a larger role likely coming for him, he needs to step into it if the Sixers are going to fix this.
(Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Trea Turner- Unproven
Trea Turner is certainly a star. He has been the best SS in the MLB at times. But he has yet to really prove he can be the guy when it counts here, or elsewhere. His first season here has been a disaster so far. it looked like things were turning around in June. But in July he went right back to swinging at every pitch out of the zone. To make it worse he is even hurting them in the field. They need him to be a star. So far, he hasn’t even been good.
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
